Soaps

This Article Will Make You Un-Soap-able

We are glad if the pun above caught your attention! Well, now that you are here, we might as well try to evangelize you into a soap person.

For centuries, soap has been the primary form of bath and body products. Bathing soaps have been documented to have been in use since 2800 BC in ancient Babylon. Hence, we do not have to put a lot of effort into understanding the usage and existence of soaps.

Going by a little slice of history, we have an exciting little piece of documentation present in the books of history. The story of the existence of soaps is a rather dirty one (no puns intended!). The ancient Babylonians and Mesopotamians were the ones who were the earliest soapmakers. They would make (something like) soap with meat-fat that dropped on the ashes of the fire where they made food. The result was a slippery material that they found helpful in cleaning out grub and dirt. Pretty interesting, huh?

That being said, this is an article to make you fall in love with soap once again, like we were as kids. We wish to reinstigate the same amount of excitement you felt while discovering that soaps make bubbles. Hence, we’d highly recommend you to read on!

Do we actually know the history of our soaps?

Weren’t soaps your very first skin care product? They are tried and tested by almost everyone. However, due to a shift in market demand, we have noticed a shift in preferences amongst people. Nowadays, similar beauty products such as body shampoos, lacquers, and body scrubs have replaced the overall demand for soaps. While we totally understand its craze, we cannot ignore a critical problem all these products possess: pollution.

With the recent global revolution(s) for sustainability and reducing carbon footprints, soaps are coming to the frontline again. There is a reason behind that, and that is the fact that a bar of (let’s say) bathing soap will be easier to pack in eco-friendly packaging rather than a bottle of body shampoo. We must also talk about economics in terms of packaging. Companies will never opt for something that hurts them economically, and packaging body shampoos in glass containers are going to hurt them seriously. Hence, going back to our good ol soap once again will not hurt anyone, from any side of the demand-supply curve!

Types of Bath Soaps

Now that we have spoken of the Why of soap, we have to speak of the What of soaps. There are a myriad of options available in the market, now that the makers have realized the potential of soaps. We have it all: from anti-acne soap to the ones marketed as the best skin whitening soap. Thus, we have provided a sort of checklist down below in terms of the quality of soaps, and what it does for your skin.

1. Beauty Soaps: Evident from the category, these soaps are designed to enhance the beauty of every individual who uses it. This can be activated charcoal soap (works wonders!), or your regular neem soap or aloe vera soap for people who have acne and pimples. Beauty soaps are ideally made with a higher oil-to-lye ratio, which nourishes the skin and does not strip away its natural oils.
2. Glycerine Soap: Glycerine soaps are made with oils that are plant-based. Hence, it produces an end product that is usually shiny and translucent, if not transparent. Since these soaps contain a lot of oils in them that do not undergo saponification, they retain moisture on your skin. The best examples for glycerine soaps would be a wide range of khadi soaps that use a number of plant oils along with their own formulas.
3. Organic Soap: We call a soap an organic one, when it is made of entirely organic products. Sounds like a no-brainer but hear us out. Soap-making ideally involves two ingredients -- an oil and lye. These materials are mixed and the end product hardens to form soap. Lye is nothing but caustic soda and hence is an inorganic substance. However, organic soaps are made of animal and plant products such as milk, and saps. The best example for an organic soap would be goat milk soap or carrot soaps.
4. Triple Milled Soap: French Triple-milled soaps are created out of a soap combination which has been run through carbon steel rollers maybe at least three times. It is to guarantee that the colour, aroma, and consistency of the bath soaps are uniform. This type of soap is best for people who have skin allergies as it retains no chemical residue after washing off.

Importance and the benefits of using Soaps

The basic benefits of using soap are to make your body free of dirt and dust and/or treat a particular problem or say, acne or pigmentation. Furthermore, it acts as a great way for removing germs. Fun fact- soaps do not actually kill the germs that remain on the surface of our skin, they simply remove them. The germs usually stick to the natural oils that our body produces; water is not as effective as removing them since oil and water are not friends. However, soaps contain both oil and water, and the germs stick to this emulsion and get removed once washed with water.

Where could you buy a range of soaps online?

Of all the soaps that we have spoken about in the article above, we can guarantee that there might be some or the other soap that you have not tried out. Well, in that case, you can shop from a wide range of Soaps online at Zivame.

All the soaps that we have mentioned in the article above are available both on the Zivame website as well as their app. Zivame offers one or the other sale all round-the-year with heavy discounts on each and every product, as well as certain rewards on loyalty points.

Frequently Asked Questions on Soaps

1. What are the different types of soap?

There are a plethora of soaps online and in the market. Depending on the usage, you can pick from a wide range of soaps that even serve multipurpose uses. A few major and popular ones include:

• Medicated Soap: This soap comes with added disinfectants and antiseptics to keep bacteria at bay.

• Beauty Soap: Infused with special oils and glycerin, beauty soaps have lots of fragrances and are designed for different skin types.

• Novelty Soap: Made especially to amuse children, novelty soaps are bath soaps that come in various shapes (like fish, cars, balls, and cake), sizes, colours, and fragrances.

• Kitchen Soap: Intended for kitchen purposes, these soaps are best for dish-washing and cleaning other kitchen utensils.

• Laundry Soap: Easy to carry while travelling, laundry soap washes grease, organic compound, and solid particles from clothes.

• Guest Soap: Designed specifically for hotel guests, these are small bars (generally single-use) of soaps that come in attractive packs

2. What are the uses of soap?

Soaps are our first line of defence against germs. Primarily used for removing dirt and grime from hands and body, soaps are best for washing dishes and clothes as well.

3. How to choose soap?

You can choose soaps based on your requirements. Below are a few key points to keep in mind while choosing soap:

• If you have sensitive skin, choose milk soaps as they are soft and mild and soft.
• If you have oily skin, choose the bath soap made from natural ingredients like neem, mint, cucumber, or tea-tree oil.
• People with dry skin can go for soaps infused with honey, coconut extract, and shea or cocoa butter.
• Soaps that contain glycerine and almond are good for combination skin.
• If you want to maintain good skin, choose skin soaps with optimum pH levels.
• Perfumed soaps have a great fragrance, but they can be of inferior quality. Check the quality of soap; otherwise, it can wreak havoc on your skin.

4. Why choose handmade organic soap?

Organic bath soaps are made with natural ingredients, primarily plants. Here are a few surprising benefits of handmade organic soaps:

• Handmade organic soaps cleanse, hydrate, and moisturize your skin naturally. It works better and stays longer than soaps that contain glycerine.
• These skin soaps do not contain any chemicals or synthetics.
• Organically produced handmade soaps are not tested on animals and are mostly vegan.
• They are not produced in big factories with big machines but are small businesses with the active participation of village women, regional folks, or community members.
• They are environmentally friendly soaps with sustainable packaging.

5. Do our soaps contain essential oils or fragrance oils?

Soaps are either made with essential oils or fragrance oils. Most of the bath soaps available in the market are synthetically fragranced soaps; these are more scented in comparison to other soaps and last longer. On the other hand, soaps infused with essential oils tend to evaporate faster when exposed to air and light. Therefore, as the soap gets old, it loses its fragrance; however, it always gives a fantastic creamy lather.